Hope Credit Under the Hope Credit, you or your parents may claim a tax credit of up to $1,800 for up to two years. Qualified applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent and be enrolled half time or more in a degree or certificate program for at least one academic period during the tax year. The Hope Credit can only be claimed for the first two years of post-secondary education.

Lifetime Learning Credit Under the Lifetime Learning Credit, you or your parents may claim a credit of up to $2,000 each tax year for an unlimited number of years. The Lifetime Learning Credit applies to tuition and fees for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education classes taken part-time. If a taxpayer is claiming a Hope credit for a particular student, none of that student's expenses may be applied to the Lifetime Learning credit.

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Verify that the Admissions Office has an accurate Social Security or Taxpayer Identification Number and current address for you and any individual who can claim you as a dependent on their federal tax return